Honeywell Aerospace Sues Rivian and Lucid Over Patent Infringement
Honeywell Aerospace has sued Rivian over seven patents it says cover tech like sensor fusion, hazard detection, and autonomous navigation. Lucid got hit with its own lawsuit the same day,… · Company News
Should You Buy or Lease the Rivian R2 Launch Edition
Leasing is confirmed for the R2 Launch Edition from day one, which is new territory for Rivian, and if you’re trying to figure out how to pay for yours, I’d lean lease. Not for the money, but because R2 is a brand-new platform arriving right before LiDAR lands in late 2026, and that’s hardware you can’t add to an early build later. Here’s the case for leasing, the case for buying, and why I’m personally doing the opposite of what I’d tell you to.

What the Next-Generation Rivian R1 Could Bring in 2027
The 2027 model year R1 is probably going to be a light refresh while Rivian keeps its head down on R2, so I’m looking past it to the next-generation R1 expected around summer 2027. Here’s my full wishlist, from captain’s chairs and the R2 LiDAR system to 800V, vehicle to home charging, and a battery that stops thermal limiting the second things heat up.

The $130 Federal EV Fee Explained and How It Compares to Gas Tax
The House wants EV owners paying $130 a year to the feds, and after running it against what gas drivers actually put into the Highway Trust Fund, the number is more defensible than the reaction. The real problem isn’t the size of the fee, it’s that they made it flat, so the person babying their R1S around town pays exactly the same as the one stacking 25,000 miles a year.

The Sunday Drive, Rivian Week in Review, May 18 to May 24, 2026
Software week. RivianOS 2.0 got confirmed for R2 at launch, Wassym ran an R2 software AMA on Thursday, the self-driving roadmap we’d been waiting on finally dropped, and it turns out the entire R2 lineup is getting a heat pump.

Rivian R2 AMA, Autonomy, Audio, Heat Pump and More
Rivian’s software and autonomy leads jumped into a Reddit AMA and ended up spilling more concrete R2 detail than we’ve gotten in a while. Wassym handled most of it, with James stepping in for the self driving questions. From point to point autonomy timelines and the edge compute bet to the heat pump, the charging mat retrofit, and why the premium audio actually works, here’s everything worth knowing.

Rivian Just Quietly Dropped the R2 Self-Driving Roadmap We’ve Been Waiting For
Rivian’s autonomy lead James jumped into today’s R2 Reddit AMA and laid out the self-driving roadmap, and the big takeaway is that R2 Performance Launch Package buyers get Autonomy+ bundled in for the life of the car. He also broke down the point-to-point timeline, the stoplight and stop-sign updates coming in the next few months, and why Gen 1 owners shouldn’t sweat the LiDAR question.

R2 Gets a Heat Pump Across the Entire Lineup
Wassym confirmed R2 is getting a heat pump across the entire lineup, not just the top trim. The more interesting part is what Rivian built around it. A bigger compressor and a better battery-coolant handoff mean R2 can hold cabin comfort during a DC fast charge even in serious heat, which anyone who’s sweated through a triple-digit charging session will appreciate.

Rivian Connect+ Free 60-Day Trial Brings Rivian Assistant to All Owners
Rivian just rolled out a 60-day free trial of Connect+ to all owners, which means you can finally try Rivian Assistant without paying for it. Update to 2026.15 to turn it on, and here’s what you get before the $14.99 a month kicks in.

RivianOS 2.0 Coming to R2 at Launch, R1 Later This Year
RivianOS 2.0 is launching on R2 first, with R1 vehicles getting it later this year. Rivian’s goal is one core operating system that feels the same across the lineup no matter how different the hardware is, which means R1 owners aren’t getting left behind on an old build.

Rivian R2 Configurator Is Live but You Cannot Build the Cheap One Yet
The R2 configurator is live and you can finally price one out, but the only trim you can build is the $57,990 Performance, and the roughly $45,000 R2 we were all sold on is nowhere on the page yet. Add in colors that mostly cost extra and a Performance that lands dollar for dollar with a Model Y Performance, and the attainable Rivian still feels like a future-tense thing.









